Arrogant Assumptions

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

A/N: Yes, I know this is OOC for Inuyasha, so please don't feel the need to point it out. It's called creative license.

~oOo~

"-can't stay here anymore, Kagome," Inuyasha said gruffly, refusing to meet her eyes. "I chose Kikyou over fifty years ago and my choice hasn't changed. It never will. Your job here is done, the Shikon gone and Naraku dead as well. It's time for you to return to your world where you belong so I can be with Kikyou."

Kagome simply stared at the hanyou with a somewhat cynical expression, knowing what he thought. What an arrogant jerk. He still thinks I have feelings for him. Huh. As if. She turned away from him dismissively after a few seconds and looked to the trees. "Go on then, Inuyasha, I'm not stopping you."

"Yes, you are, wench! Until I've seen you home my responsibilities to you won't end and I can't be worrying about you while with Kikyou. So go back to Kaede's to say goodbye to the others, and then let's go!"

"Let me ease your mind. I free you from your promise to protect me. We are nothing to each other anymore, so now you can go be with Kikyou and leave me be," the young woman replied with an easy manner.

The hanyou glared at her with suspicion – she had to be faking that easiness. She was in love with him and wanted him for herself, and that was never going to happen. "You can't stay here without something to give you a reason to, Kagome," he snapped, irritated. "And I won't do that. Give it up! Staying here won't make me change my mind about you and Kikyou!"

A contemptuous glare was flashed over her shoulder at that. "How arrogant you've become with all your assumptions," she said coldly with her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What makes you think that I want you?"

"Keh!" The red-clad hanyou flushed at those hard-edged words. "Not like you haven't been totally open with it!"

"That just goes to show how much attention you pay to reality. I haven't had any feelings for you in several years now. So like I said, go join Kikyou and have a good life." She shrugged, turning back to stare into the darkness of the forest. "I have something else that keeps me here now, so I certainly don't need you."

Taken aback for a moment, the hanyou scoffed. "Yeah, sure, wench. Then who's keeping you here, hm?" he asked sarcastically, clearly not believing her words.

Before Kagome could respond a heavy aura swept over the area, and Inuyasha thrust his hands into his sleeves with a roll of his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here, Sesshoumaru? Didn't you already take your kid and leave? So why the hell'd ya come back?"

"This Sesshoumaru has nothing to say to you, hanyou," the daiyoukai replied calmly, not even looking at his brother. He met Kagome's eyes and looked her over. "You are ready?" he asked.

She flashed him a beautiful smile and started towards him. "Completely. Where will we go?" she asked.

"Into another world," the daiyoukai replied with fiercely intent eyes that were almost glowing at her.

Before either one could say another word Inuyasha broke in. Sesshoumaru's heated gaze cooled as he turned weighing eyes on his half-brother.

"Wait a minute – you're saying that you're going with him?" he barked incredulously before falling over with laughter. "Hehe... that's got to be the... hehe... funniest thing I've ever... hehehe... heard!" he gasped out, bent double and holding his stomach. "What – did he give you a job as Jaken's replacement being his little toady so you could stay here? Damn, you really must be desperate to ignore reality hoping that if you stick around I'll pick you someday!"

He was silenced abruptly as his feet were suddenly ripped from beneath him, both tangled up in the daiyoukai's glowing whip.

"You have an unseemly amount of arrogance, whelp," Sesshoumaru said easily. "It is completely unfounded. Kagome is no longer here for your sake – she was only tied to you until her promises to you were completed, which they now are. After all, the Shikon is gone and Naraku's dead, and your clay doll is restored to life. She is free to finally join me, where we have both longed for her to be for many of her 'months' now." He looked the staring hanyou over critically and then retracted his whip, allowing a silent and gaping Inuyasha to regain his feet before dismissing him entirely and looking back at a still-smiling Kagome. "You may take yourself off now, baka, for you are no longer needed," he finished absently.

Before the stunned hanyou could say a word Kagome picked up her bag and, with her grin widening and sparkling up at the daiyoukai in the brilliant sunshine, she said brightly, "Let's go, then! Bye, Inuyasha," she threw casually over her shoulder, "hope you have a happy life – I know I will!"

Without looking back once she followed Sesshoumaru into the darkness of the forest, disappearing from sight almost immediately – and the still-shocked speechless Inuyasha simply stared mutely into the trees after them.

What the fuck? When did... how did... what the fuck? was all he was able to think, so confused by the idea of his 'I hate humans' brother being with Kagome that nothing else would register. And even more shocking – Kagome wanting Sesshoumaru, the 'Aristocratic Assassin'? He shook his head numbly, not even able to blink, feeling immensely foolish to have misread things so badly for so long.

It was quite a while before the crimson-clad figure was able to turn and leave the clearing, and he absolutely refused to ever speak of what happened there that day, not wanting anyone to know just how much a fool he'd made of himself with his rather arrogant assumptions.

Owari